by Joseph Johns, ACRE Policy Analyst The Arkansas General Assembly has been making historic strides toward reducing the cost of living for Arkansas families. Following the tax changes made in a special session last month, Governor Hutchinson has now enacted a total of five tax cut packages during his administration. The top marginal income tax […]
Arkansas Special Session Roundup: Legislature Accelerates Tax Cuts
By Joseph Johns The Arkansas Legislature adjourned its Special Session today after accelerating income tax cuts it passed during special session of late 2021. The legislature chose to move the tax cuts forward due to a historic state surplus of over $1.6 billion as of June 30, 2022. SB1 lowered the top marginal individual income […]
What Should Arkansas Do With Its Budget Surplus? Better Budget Rules Are Needed in the Future
by Joseph Johns Arkansas recently reported the highest budget surplus in state history, a record-setting $1.628 billion as of June 30, 2022. While this is good news in some respects, the true history of state surpluses reveals a disturbing trend that needs to be addressed. Arkansas has run a surplus for 22 of the past […]
Should Attracting Business to Arkansas Rely on Legislation That Plays Favorites?
by Dr. Jeremy Horpedahl The arrival of Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel Corp’s new sustainable and technologically advanced mill in Osceola, Arkansas promises to bring jobs and revenue to the state. This is something most of us can get behind. However, the way the deal was secured raises concerns for a free and fair marketplace. The legislature […]
What’s the Rush? Upcoming Special Election in Conway is Important, but Turnout May Be Low
by Dr. Jeremy Horpedahl In just a few days on February 8th, Conway residents will be asked to vote on almost $40 million worth of bond issues. “Bond issues” may sound boring, but these would fund new amenities in Conway: a community center, pool, fitness center, and soccer complex. Conway residents have reason to be […]
Dr. Horpedahl Explains Tax Proposals on Capitol View
Dr. Jeremy Horpedahl, ACRE Scholar and UCA Associate Professor of Economics, recently appeared on the television program Capitol View with host Jay Bir. They discussed Arkansas’s tax system and how recently proposed changes by Gov. Hutchinson might impact Arkansas taxpayers and the state budget. You can watch the full interview online from KARK. The changes […]
Horpedahl, Johns Discuss the Upcoming Special Tax Session on “Believe in Arkansas”
By Joseph Johns Dr. Jeremy Horpedahl and I spoke with Ryan Norris, State Director of the Arkansas Chapter of Americans for Prosperity, on his Believe in Arkansas podcast. Our conversation focused on the proposed state tax changes and more broadly about both tax and spending issues in Arkansas over the past few years. The first […]
Mitchell, Johns Discuss Taxes and LTRF on Dave Elswick Show
By Joseph Johns ACRE Director David “Mitch” Mitchell and I spoke on the Dave Elswick Show on Monday, October 4th, 2021, about the upcoming Arkansas special legislative session. We discussed two main tax cut bills currently under consideration by the legislature. The first plan, by Joint Budget Committee Co-Chair Senator Jonathan Dismang [R-Searcy] would reduce […]
Arkansans Could See Big Savings from Special Session
By Joseph Johns and Jeremy Horpedahl The Arkansas legislature may be meeting in the near future to consider changes to the income tax that individuals, families, and small businesses pay. So far we are aware of two potential plans to lower taxes, and more could be proposed at a special session this fall. The plans […]
Reducing Arkansas’s Income Tax Rate To Zero
By Caleb Taylor Can Arkansas reduce its income tax burden to zero? ACRE Scholar and UCA Associate Professor of Economics Dr. Jeremy Horpedahl outlines how Arkansas can accomplish gradually reducing its income tax rate to zero percent in “Getting to zero” published in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on June 28th. Horpedahl writes that gradually reducing the […]